11th Luftwaffe Field Division

__NOTOC__ 11th Luftwaffe Field Division 1942–1945 Nazi Germany Luftwaffe Infantry Division World War II Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II Dodecanese campaign Battle of Leros Operation Kondor Eastern Front (World War II) Operation Spring Awakening The 11th Luftwaffe Field Division (de 11.Luftwaffen-Feld-Division) was an infantry division of the Luftwaffe branch of the Wehrmacht that fought in World War II. It was formed at Troop Training Camp Munsterlager, in Luftgau IV (Dresden region), in October 1942. The cadre used to create this unit was Flieger-Regiment 31, which had been stationed in Hilversum since 1941. The Division was organized around two Jager Regiments: Luftwaffen-Jager-Regiment 21 and Luftwaffen-Jager-Regiment 22 with three battalions each. The Division did not initially contain a Panzer-Jager battalion but did contain an Infanteriegeschutz-Kompanie (or specialized infantry heavy weapons company) and a Panzer-Jager Kompanie in each regiment. The Flak Battalion comprised four batteries. Batteries I and II comprised six Flak 38 Guns each 2 cm Flak 30, Flak 38 and Flakvierling 38 and III Battery comprised three quadruple barreled Flakvierling 38 Guns. Number IV Battery comprised four Flak 36 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 Guns. The Artillery Regiment initially also contained two Artillerie-Abteilung of four batteries of towed (by the Opel Blitz) vehicles 7.5 cm FK 38, with four guns in each. There was also a Pioneer-Battalion, a Bicycle or Radfabr-Kompanie (which acted as the division's reconnaissance), a signals company and a supply company.On the 30 August 1943 an additional artillery battalion was added. I Artllerie-Abteilung now had three batteries of four towed 7.5 cm FK 38 guns. II Artllerie-Abteilung now had three batteries of four towed Canon de 75 modèle 1897 howitzers modified for modern battlefield conditions, i.e. their wooden wheels were replaced with all metal ones, like German anti-tank guns. The Third, III Artllerie-Abteilung had two batteries of four towed Canon de 75 modèle 1897 howitzers.Munoz 2025 103 NoteBy the spring of 1943 divisional Panzer-Jager Abteilung (battalion) had been established as two companies of nine 5 cm Pak 38 anti-tank guns and five 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti tank guns. There was also a battery of four 75mm L48 long barreled Sturmgeschütz III assault guns. However, one source says that only the battalion headquarters and 1 Panzer-Jager Kompanie were created.Munoz 2025 103 NoteMunoz 2025 103 In January 1943 it was sent to Greece to combat increased partisan activity and served in Army Group E.Mitcham 2007a 309–310Munoz 2025 102–117Mitcham 1985 431-432 Order of Battle, 11th Luftwaffe Field DivisionMitcham 2007a 309–310Munoz 2025 102–117Mitcham 1985 431-432 October 1942 21st Field Jager Regiment 22nd Field Jager Regiment 10th Field Artillery Regiment 10th Field Bicycle Company 10th Field Pioneer Battalion Of three companies. NoteMunoz 2025 102 10th Field Signal Company 10th Field Flak Battalion In November 1943 This battalion was removed from the division and became I Flak-Abteilung of Flak Regiment 28 (motorisiert). NoteMunoz 2025 107 10th Field Divisional Supply TroopsIn August 1943 the Divisions Supply Support Elements were increased significantly.Munoz 2025 104 Note Operational history From 1 January 1943 till August 1944 it was stationed in the occupied Greece, under LXVIII Army Corps (Wehrmacht) as part of Army Group E. From February 1943 until April 1943 the Division was stationed in Crete and other surrounding islands but moved back to the mainland by April 1943Munoz 2025 104 and was moved to occupied Greek Macedonia on September of that year. In November 1943 the Division was absorbed into the Heer as Felddivision 11 (L). The Flak Battalion was also removed by Hermann Goring at this time and returned to the Luftwaffe. On 9 August 1944 this division was implicated in the largest roundup in Athens, the Raid of Kokkinia, with hundreds of civilians participating in the resistance executed, thousands of hostages sent to concentration camps, burning down of entire house blocks, and significant atrocities.Chandrinos Iasonas ΤΟ ΤΙΜΩΡΟ ΧΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΛΑΟΥ, Η ΔΡΑΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΟΠΛΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΑΤΕΧΟΜΕΝΗ ΠΡΩΤΕΥΟΥΣΑ 1942–1944 Επίκεντρο 2012 9789603103882 Thessaloniki 148 GreekΧανδρινός Ιάσωνας 2018 Χάλαρη Μαριάννα Έλληνες όμηροι και καταναγκαστικοί εργάτες στη ναζιστική Γερμανία, επίμετρο στο: Ρόμπερτ Στράιμπελ, Απρίλιος στο Στάιν, μυθιστόρημα https://www.academia.edu/36889367 registration 2020-09-30 University of Regensburg Αλφειός 359 Greek Αθήνα Order of Battle, 6th Field Division (L)Mitcham 2007a 309–310Munoz 2025 102–117Mitcham 1985 431-432 April 1944 21st Field Jager Regiment 22nd Field Jager Regiment 10th Field Artillery Regiment (L)The III Artillerie-Abteilung now consisted of two batteries of four Yugoslav Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider Guns each and one battery of four Russian 152 mm howitzer M1910/37 Guns. NoteMunoz 2025 107In the summer of 1944 I Artillerie-Abteilung and II Artillerie-Abteilung now exchanged their 75mm guns for 10.5 cm leFH 18M howitzers, each possessing three batteries of four guns. NoteMunoz 2025 108 10th Field Fusilier Battalion (L)The Bicycle or Radfabr Kompanie had been expanded to a battalion of three companies to act as the division's reconnaissance unit. NoteMunoz 2025 107 10th Field Panzer-Jager Battalion (L)The Panzer-Jager Battalion consisted of one company of 12 7.5 cm Pak 40 Anti Tank Guns and one battery of 10 75mm L48 Long Barreled Sturmgeschutz IV Assault Guns. NoteMunoz 2025 107 10th Field Pioneer Battalion (L) 10th Field Signal Battalion (L) 10th Field Divisional Medical & Supply Troops Battalions (L) In the later half on 1943 elements of the Division operated with the Brandenburgers commandos during the Dodecanese campaign and the Battle of Leros, which resulted in a British defeat. It took part in August 1944 in Operation Kondor, in which atrocities were committed against civilians. In September 1944 it began its move Northwards along with other German forces to withdraw from the Balkans. In February 1945 the division was assigned to the XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps, in addition to the corps' existing 1st and 2nd Cossack Cavalry Divisions and took part in Operation Spring Awakening along with Army Group F.Newland Samuel J. 1991 Cossacks in the German Army, 1941-1945 London, England Frank Cass 0-7146-3351-8 164Munoz 2025 102–117 On 8 May 1945 The Division surrendered to British forces at Klagenfurt. On balance Munoz states, "The Division operated with greater success than most other Luftwaffe Field Divisions."Munoz 2025 114 It is considered one of the Three best Luftwaffe Field Divisions, albeit it spent the greater part of its existence fighting partisans in Greece and not on the Eastern Front. Commanders Generalleutnant Karl Drum (October 1942 - 9 November 1943)Mitcham 2007a 310Munoz 2025 117Mitcham 1985 431-432 Oberst Alexander Bourquin, (10 November 1943 – 1 December 1943)Mitcham 2007a 310Munoz 2025 117Mitcham 1985 431-432 Generalleutnant Wilhelm Köhler, (1 January 1944 – October 1944)Mitcham 2007a 310Munoz 2025 117Mitcham 1985 431-432 Generalmajor Gerhard Henke, (1 November 1944 – 8 May 1945)Mitcham 2007a 309–310Munoz 2025 117Mitcham 1985 431-432 Notes Footnotes Note Citations 30em References Conley Ruffner Kevin Volstad Ron (ill.) Luftwaffe Field Divisions 1941–45 2012 Bloomsbury Publishing 978-1-85532-100-7 https://books.google.com/books?id=LZ0eDAAAQBAJ Mitcham Samuel W. German Order of Battle, Volume Two: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII 2007a Stackpole Books 978-0-8117-3437-0 Mitcham Samuel W. German Order of Battle, Volume Three: Panzer, Panzer Grenadier, and Waffen SS Divisions in WWII 2007b Mechanicsburg, PA, United States Stackpole Books 978-0-8117-3438-7 Mitcham Samuel W. Samuel W. Mitcham German Order of Battle World War II 1985 Leo Cooper in association with Secker & Warburg Limited, London 0-436-28200-3 Munoz Antonio J. 2025 Hitler's Luftwaffe Infantry, The German Air Force Field Divisions 1942 - 1945 Frontline Books 978-1-03613-033-6 Peter Schmitz / Klaus -Jürgen Thies / Günter Wegmann / Christian Zweng: The German divisions 1941–1945, Bd. 3, Biblio Verlag, 1996. 3-7648-2458-1. Stout Michael J. Goering's Ground Troops: The Luftwaffe Field Divisions of World War II 2026 Naval Institute Press 978-1-68247-977-3 Sources Lexikon der Wehrmacht Luftwaffen-Felddivision 11 0*011 Category:Military units and formations established in 1943 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944